It’s time to see the flag once more as a unifying symbol of Britain
Our flag tells the story of Britain. A story of people who stood together through war, hardship, and change.
It is a symbol of unity, not of division; yet today we’ve let its meaning become clouded and its meaning undermined.
This must be put to an end – we must realise that being proud in being British does not make you far-right.
Being proud of our flag and what it represents is about more than ceremony and tradition; it is about identity, values and a shared purpose.
Pride gives us confidence in our country’s achievements, motivates us to uphold its principles and inspired future generations to do the same. Without it, we risk cynicism and division coming to define us.
Celebrating what unites us reminds us of who we are, what we stand for, and why Britain still matters on the global stage.
There is a growing feeling within our country that caring about it is wrong – too many issues relating to the prosperity of this country are deemed as “radical” if you even remotely care about them; with issues involving societal cohesion at the helm of this.
The problems this country faces surrounding immigration are real. On the matter of legal migration, it only takes a pragmatic mindset to concede that our country cannot facilitate the numbers of those coming in at the current rate that they are.
It does not make someone automatically far-right to have this view. I strongly believe that there is a way forward to take action on these increasing levels whilst acknowledging the need for a baseline level of immigration.
The media has been guilty of mass labelling those who protest against the highest levels of immigration this country has ever seen as “far-right” and “extremist”.
This labelling is reckless and undermines an issue which a large majority of the British people feel strongly, and are frustrated, about.
The media must do better to understand the feelings of the British people and see that they simply care about their country.
What must be put to an end to completely is illegal migration. The current situation is not fair for all parties involved, apart from the criminal gangs who orchestrate these crossings.
Having undocumented people in our country is the most obvious issue – allowing them into the country without documentation is reckless and is a threat to national security, as simple as that.
There is a strong opposition view that assuming that these migrants are criminals is somehow a far-right or racist view to have – despite the fact that they are categorically criminals as they have broken into the country illegally.
If they are willing to do this we must assume that they are capable of other crimes and take the fact they are undocumented as a caution.
It is also unfair on those in the asylum system who are going through the legitimate channels. Jumping the queue through illegitimate means, such as small boats, means they are displacing those
Let’s be clear; these are logical conversations to have for the prosperity of the country. Wanting your country to prosper should not burden you with a baseless “far-right” label.
It is correct to say these are delicate, humanitarian issues that need to be dealt with a higher degree of care – but this should not equate to labelling those who advocate for such issues as extremist when they simply just care about their country.
What these policy areas spell out is clear: Too many feel that simply caring about Britain or waving its flag is wrong.
We must realise that our flag is a representation of the unity we must seek to prosper.
The United States understands that being proud of your nation’s identity is key for the unity of your people, as well as how your country performs on the world stage diplomatically.
You cannot expect other nations to respect you if you and your own people are not proud of their own identity.
Britain is worth our pride. It’s time to stand tall, celebrate who we are and show the world that the British people are united in their values.
Featured image via Shutterstock.
